1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a film positioning device for a microform printing system, and more particularly to a two-dimensional film positioning device for a microform printing system which moves a film in X and Y directions in a horizontal plane to permit recording of information in a selected one of a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged recording frames of the film.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, a large number of microimages are recorded in an extremely limited area on a microfilm. Accordingly, precise positioning of the film relative to the optical axis of a taking lens system of a microform recording system is required when recording information. In the microform recording system, the taking lens system is generally supported in a fixed position and the film is moved relative to the optical axis of the fixed taking lens system, since such an arrangement is preferred to precisely position the film or its recording frames relative to the optical axis of the taking lens system. Specifically a microfilm of 105 mm width has a large number of recording frames arranged in rows and columns. Therefore the 105 mm microfilm is required to be moved with respect to the taking lens system in two directions, i.e. in X and Y directions.
In a microform recording system combined with an electronic computer generally referred to as COM (computer Output Microfilmer), a binary coded computer output is recorded as a microimage in a designated recording frame of a microfilm. The electronic computer gives outputs at an extremely high speed. In order to make better use of the speed of the computer, the COM should also operate with a high speed. The operational speed of the COM depends not only upon the recording speed of the computer output, but also upon the moving speed of the film from one recording frame to another.
Further it is desired that the film not be vibrated during recording of data thereon, since otherwise the quality of the recorded microimages is lowered.
Thus, there has been a strong demand for a film positioning device for a microform printing system capable of moving a microfilm from one position to another with a high speed and high precision without considerable vibration of the film.